


The Choices that We Make

by thisonecollector



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 16:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6476692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisonecollector/pseuds/thisonecollector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An old friend of Stan's drops into Gravity Falls, and turns out, they're also a friend of Ford's! This series explores the past relationship of Alexis, Stan, and Ford and how the three must cope with the present circumstances.</p>
<p>Alexis is an original character, and the rating of the series will go up as more graphic details are shared in later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a normal day at Gravity Falls Oregon. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, sure the Mystery Shack tours were slow to none, but on days like this; Stan Pines did not mind the quietness of the shack. The kids were off chasing some supernatural adventure, Wendy was off slacking as usual, Soos the handyman was working on something, and his brother Stanford Pines was down in the basement, doing who knows what.

Stanley had done what he set out to do: bring his beloved twin brother back from whatever hell that inter-dimensional portal had dragged him off to. But still, he was not met with the open and loving arms as he would have hoped for. A deal was made that by the end of the summer, Stan would move out and leave Ford with the shack, all its belongings, along with his legal name.

Stan shuddered at the thought of leaving all he has ever known for the past thirty years. He quickly tried to push the thought away as he sat behind the cashier desk, rearranging the various trinkets that laid upon it. He hated the thought of going back to his old life, scamming, living in between musty motels, sleeping in his car. “Nope.” He said out loud as he tried to busy himself by counting the day’s proceedings. It was almost 6, and the sun was setting. “Doubt they’ll be anymore…” he mumbled. Stan leaned back in his chair, flipping through bills as his mind wondered further and further away from his past.

But fate had other plans for him.

Before Stan knew it, he heard a loud crash, and felt as if gravity momentarily pulled itself to one spot outside of the shack. “Hot Belgium waffles!” he cried, holding onto his fez. He glanced towards the direction of the force, eyes widening as he saw teal beams of lights flashing. “Oh no, KIDS!” he yelled, fearing for the safety of his grandniblings. Stan immediately rushed out of the shack, mentally preparing himself for any danger that may have come to his family. He didn’t really care about himself at this moment, all that ran through his mind was adrenaline and the drive to protect those kids!

He stepped outside, following the lingering lights from whatever caused the uproar. Dashing through the forest, his mind immediately raced to the worst case scenarios. _What if they’re hurt?! What if one of them jumped in to save the other?! What if one of them is dragging the other with them?! Oh no, oh no oh no-_ “KIDS!” he yelled picking up the pace. After running for a while, the lights stop along with Stan’s heart. “Oh no…” he whispered.

Finally, he made it to a clearing, seeing some remnant sparks going towards the middle of something. He lets out a few pants, calming down a bit when he sees that the figure is nothing like the two kids. It moves, and he steps back a bit from it. Stan hears a low groan as the dark mop of hair twitches. The figure is a person, slumped down in an exhausted heap. Bits of smoke rise up from their black torn clothing. Stan hears a muffled voice.

He hesitates, but hears them struggling again, “H-Hey, you alright?” he asks staring intently on the person. They move at the sound of his voice.

“P-Pines…?” the figure questions. Stan’s blood runs cold at the mention of his name. The person groans, trying to sit themselves up. Stan winces as he sees droplets of blood leave them. “O-one…last time…” they say, finally looking towards the sound of the voice.

Stan’s eyes widen, his heart caught in his ears. “A-Alexis…?” he can’t believe his eyes. _This must be a trick, some sick, sick trick!_ He screams to himself. Alexis moves up a little more, hair a tangled mess, locks stiff at some parts with dried blood, but no doubt Stan knows it’s them. Before they could do anything else, they collapse down it the heap they were found in. “Alexis!” Stan moves towards them, kneeling down at their side. “H-Hey man, j-just hold on…” his voice shakes as he places a hand on their shoulder.

No response. Limp.

His eyes widen in fear but is met with some relief as they feel the rise and fall of their chest. Stan shakes his head, snapping himself out of his shock. _No, this is really him!_ He goes into action, gingerly hooking his arm underneath their knees, and scooping up the weak figure in his arms. “Just hold on!” he states as he rushes out of the forest to go and get them some help.

Alexis lays in his arms, unconscious and unmoving. Cuts and bruises already littered their face, so Stan frowned at the thought of the rest of their body.

 

* * *

 

Stanford Pines remained in his lab basement throughout most of the day. Sure his brother had gotten him back to his home dimension, but at what cost? Ford grumbled a bit as he stared at the inter-dimensional rift that the portal had created. He sighed, “Not to mention the threat of other beings coming into this world…” he rubbed his temples before getting back to work on formulas that would help keep this dimension safe from anything that tried to crawl its way in.

His fears where made into a reality as one of his scanners went off. He popped his head up, rolling his chair towards the device.

**FOREIGN BEING INBOUND**

“What?!” he gasped. Just then, a thundering crash shook the building, along with a force that seem to pull him towards somewhere. Ford swore under his breath as he jumped out of his chair and started gathering his things.

He had placed the rift in a protective case, and went about preparing his weaponry he had gathered through his travels. This took time, patience, and precision to make sure everything was loaded, cocked, and handled safely and correctly.

Afterwards, Ford stood up with a sigh, mentally bracing himself for whatever being had managed to crawl its way through to this dimension. He walked to the elevator and pressed the button to ascend him to ground level. _Cipher and his cronies probably…But now?! So soon?! This can’t be…The kids! The town! Stan…_ He thought to himself until the door dinged.

Ford wore a determined expression has he made his way through the Mystery Shack then outside. To his surprise he saw his brother Stanley running frantically towards him. “Stanley?! What’s-“his eyes locked on to the being Stan carried. Ford was cautious, eyeing back and forth between his brother and the person in his arms.

“Move Sixer!” Stan shouted running passed him.

Stan knocked shoulders with Ford, but he was still able to get a quick glance at the person’s face. His eyes widen as Stan ran passed him. “Wait!” he followed, unstrapping some of his weaponry.

“No time Ford! I need to go to the hospital!” Stan said over his shoulder, awkwardly fumbling around to try to get his keys, while still holding Alexis.

“Wait Stan, let me check something!” Ford demanded. He grabbed his brother and positioned his arm downwards to expose the person’s face more.

“Ahh! Hey! Stanford I said-“

“Alexis…?” Ford whispered in shock, catching Stanley off guard. He stared at his brother, as a six fingered hand went up to brush the hair out of their face. “Oh my goodness, it really is you…” he gasped. _What happened to her?!_ He thought.

“Wait,” Stan tried to get a hold of the situation. “ _You_ know Alexis?!” he questioned.

Ford looked up to him, “ _You_ know Alexis?!”

The two brothers stared at each other, both in a mix of shock and confusion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _“Text that is italicized and within quotations signify that the character is thinking and saying this portion aloud.”_

Stanford glared intensely at Alexis, still unconscious. _How did she get here?! What happened to her?! Why does she still look-_

“Ford…” Stanley’s voice broke his brother’s trail of thought.  Stanford glanced back to his brother, lip in a firm line. He was just as confused, shocked, and dishearten as he was. The air was thick and silent between the two, mainly due to the fact that they _both_ knew this person that’s life literally laid in their hands.

The sound of a droplet falling broke the two out of their daze. Ford shook his head and regained his focused disposition. “Hospital will take too long. Come on I have something down here!” he motioned towards the vending machine.

“Ford, this is no time to-“

“Follow me Stan.” He uttered without looking at him. With a deep sigh, Stan complied.

The two remained silent going down the stairwell, then the elevator. Both trying to wrap their heads around the other’s acquaintance with Alexis. The door dinged and Ford exited first. “Lay Alexis down on the table while I prepare something.”

Stan glared at his brother, puzzled at what he was referring to. “Sixer, I know you’re smart, but I doubt you can perform surgery on-“

“That’s not what I’m going to do.” He stated quickly. Ford rummaged around the basement, sparking a burner, grabbing a beaker with brown liquid, heating it, adding other chemicals into the concoction.

Stan gently set Alexis down on the table. He grimaced as he felt the warmth and stickiness on his arms after setting them down. “Alexis, hey, can you hear me?” he places a hand on their shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. Stan closed his eyes. _Please._ He mentally begged as he tighten his grip on them.

“Mmhh…” a tiny groan left them.

Stan eyed them in relief, grateful that they were still alive. This was the first time he managed to get a decent look at Alexis. “What happened to you…?” he mumbled to himself. Stan took note of their torn black clothing, dirty with rips and tears here and there. They were dressed in all black, but he could still tell that they were bleeding quite a bit.

“Alright.” Ford sighed, carrying a beaker to the two. “This should do it.” The beaker was filled with a bright green substance which seemed to glow and swirl on its own. Stan stared, questioning Ford, which he ignored as he tilted Alexis’ head upwards. “Alexis, if you can hear me, it’s me, Stanford. I need you to drink this, all of it, okay?” there was no response. Ford frowned, but continued on. “Come on, please.” He parted their mouth a bit with his thumb as the other hand brought the beaker to their lips, pouring its contents.

Alexis twitched and coughed out some of the mixture. “No, just come on, you need to drink this.” Ford wiped a trail that escaped through the corner of their mouth and slowly started assisting Alexis in drinking again. This time they reacted better, taking voluntary sips.

Stan stood backed and watched the action, until he noticed something. The cuts on Alexis’ face, seemed to be smoking? No they were smoking! “Sixer!”

“It’s alright, it’s working.” He said, still focusing on the task at hand.

Stan stared as more smoke rose from their wounds, followed by a searing noise. He squinted and gasped as the wounds slowly started to close.

Ford was near the end, “Mitotic regeneration serum.” He stated. “A little thing I picked up through my travels.” He set the empty beaker down, laying Alexis’ head in a comfortable position. “When ingested, it heals physical wounds; first by stopping any bleeding, then rebuilding enough tissue in open wounds to prevent any further blood loss and infection, then causes the body to reproduce as much loss blood as the serum will allow it.”

“But then why are they _smoking_?”

“The serum causes somatic cells to rapidly undergo mitosis. The smoke you see is the energy being burned off to fuel this reaction. Perfectly harmless, and a sign that it’s working.”

Stanley didn’t question any further, because honestly, the only sign that he would take as ‘it’s working’ is when Alexis woke up. Again, the twin Pines stood in silence, waiting, watching any sign of awareness from the person that lay on the table.

Smoke continued to rise from wounds, but slowly started to stop. “Uhh…” Alexis grunted as they started to move again. The two stared intently as they watched their eyes slowly flutter open. Alexis’ vision was blurry, the lights were too bright and everything felt distant and muffled. Despite the haziness, they continued to push forward, forcing their eyes to adjust.

Enough time had passed for caution and doubt to creep into the hearts and minds of the Pines. Alexis was _so young, still._ Both shared a glance between each other, agreeing to wait to see if this truly was who they thought, before taking any other action.

_I’m alive…Hands, fingers, shoulders, neck, feet, legs, knees, toes…_ Alexis thought to themselves has they tested the presence and movement of each body part. A wince or a pained noise was elicited here and there, but they were relieved that everything was intact. Alexis noticed two figures that stood before them as their awareness came to. They sighed, focusing their view on the two. “Sta…Stan?” their eyes finally focused but they immediately widen with shock. _Two?! Both of them are here?!_

“Alexis.” Stanley finally let out. He was nervous and cautious, but overall relieved they were awake again.

Stan didn’t receive a response, and Ford watched carefully between the two. Alexis set frozen in place, along with Stan. “Alexis.” He stated a bit louder than his brother.

_No, no, no, no! This can’t be happening! Why are both versions of Stan here?! No this is a trick…They can’t be both here! I left the Ford I knew in dimension CC-2, and the other Stan on T-3158! No, no, no!_ “No…” they let out in a shaky tone.

Ford flatten his expression, _She’s scared and shock…_ “Alexis…” he moved both his hands up to show that he had nothing to harm them with. Their eyes shot towards him, fury and adrenaline burning in them. Ford stop short from just that familiar gaze, but forced himself to move on. “Alexis, it’s me, Stanford! Stanford Pines. We know each other.” Alexis watched his approach carefully, still trying to get a grasp of the situation.

Stan notice them visibly shaking, “Sixer wait. He’s really spooked.” He told him to the side. Alexis tilted their sight on him now. Stan met their gaze with firm determination. “Alexis. It’s me Stanley. I know it’s been years, but I’m me, I promise.”

Alexis glared between the two, on full alert! _What happened to me?! What’s going on?!_ They didn’t know where they were, but they knew one thing: Where ever they came from, it was _bad._ The injuries alone were a dead giveaway. “I know a Pines…” they uttered, playing their game a bit.

“Okay, but do you remember anything else? Like what happened? How you got here? Do you remember seeing me in the woods?” no response, but Stan caught their quick moment of panic in their eyes, and let off.

“Alexis, Stanley found you pretty beat up.” Ford began. “He carried you here, and I gave you some mitotic regeneration serum.” He kept his voice as calm and straightforward as he could.

Alexis took a deep breath and closed their eyes. _Carried? Sounds like Stanley. This level of healing factors, sounds like something Stanford would know…But that serum is impossible to make in Stanley’s dimension…This can’t be, one of them is lying…_ They reasoned, but still, something deep in their gut pushed Alexis to trust them. They tried to reposition themselves to sit up to get a better view of them, but was met with a sharp pain to the left side.

“Easy.” Stan moved to help them.

“She’s still hurt Stan.” Ford also moved to lend a hand.

_They’re both approaching!_ Alexis’ thoughts raced, _I have to get the real Stan away from the imposter._ “FLASH!” they shouted.

Both men halted in place. “Thunder.” They answered back almost in unison. Looks were exchanged among the brothers.

Alexis was equally as surprised. “N-No…that’s impossible! I-I only taught that call sign to two people! That means…” _None of this is real! **Something** , is using my memories to project them here-But wait…Stan said years have passed, and they’re both old…No machine or mind game can create something this realistic such as aging with memories alone. Where am I, what’s happening?! I need information. If this is really Stanley, then I should be in his dimension…Multi-verse hopping isn’t accessible by normal means there. But Ford…I never found out what dimension he’s from, something similar to the Stan variation I first met probably. _“Stanford.” They started, a bit more level-headed now. “What dimension are you from?”

“Where we are now, T-3158.”

_There is it!_ Alexis immediately snapped up at his words, grabbing Stanley’s wrist and pulling themselves to position their body in between the two. “Liar!” _Each dimension can only have **one** variation of a person unless they hop. _Their mind shouted.

“Alexis?!” he protested at their grip.

“Stan, we have to go now!” they growled back at Ford.

“Wha-Calm down!” Ford cried, it was obvious that they were in no condition to be making such rash movements.

The situation escalated quickly, and Stan knelt down holding Alexis in place. “Hey, calm down! Whatever dimensional mumbo jumbo you and my brother are talking about can wait!”

Alexis shot him a glare, “Brother…?”

“Yes, we’re twins. I see you’re familiar with Stanley.” Ford cleared his throat.

The Pines were met with wide eyes. _Brother?! Twins?! No, no, no. The Stanford I know is just a variant of Stanley!_ Alexis clutched their head in pain. Bits and pieces of memories flooded back to them. A conversation between them and a drunk Stan surfaced, him mentioning he had two brothers. Another one took place at night, waking up Ford from a night terror he had had while the two slept in a cave. The phantom feeling of holding him tight to calm him down, echoed mumbling of Ford’s words such as ‘Incident.’ ‘Bill’ “Brother…’ came to. “Twins…” was whispered in realization.

“Hey, hey stop, alright? You’re really starting to scare me.” Stan’s voice was softer than his usual tone. This brought back more memories of the past. Cheap motels, liquor, scams- “Alexis.” His voice was more forceful now, and caught Alexis’ attention. “Listen to me. Do you remember what happened?”

Being this close to him truly grounded Alexis. They were able to see him now, face to face. Years painted wrinkles in him and stole the brown in his hair. A low scoff was uttered at the realization that the stubborn bastard finally started wearing his glasses. The way he comforted and held on to Alexis’ shoulder. _This is him…This is Stanley._ They finally concluded. “No. I…I don’t.”

A frown was formed. “Alright, you were really hurt until Poindexter here patched you up.” Ford took a knee at the opposite side of the table.

“Alexis.” The focus was shifted onto him now. Again, they took in his features. Glasses crack, same signs that time has passed. Gray ran its course through his hair, but it was a bit darker than Stan’s, with peppering sides. “The serum worked perfectly, but you’re still in no condition to move around like this. I need you to stay still.” His voice was calm, but held a tinge of authority in it. _This is the Stanford I know…_

“I am.”

“No, you’re not.” Ford’s six fingered made its way to their midsection. Alexis followed its path and was surprised to see how much they were trembling. “Lay back down.” They complied, wincing at the pained movement.

Ford went about taking Alexis’ heart rate, checking their eyes and pupils, their breathing, making sure their neck wasn’t broken, and that they didn’t have a concussion. Before he could go about examining the rest of their body, Alexis put their hand up, motioning to stop. “Wait. Please, tell me what happened.”

Stan leaned over to look at them. “There was a loud noise, and weird… _pull._ ” He motioned his hand in a circle while his other rubbed the back of his neck. “And, uhh. Lights and lightning. So I rushed out and followed’em, scared that the kids were in trouble.” _Kids…? Heh, so he finally settled down…Should have known by all the time that had passed…_ Hearing the word still made them feel uncomfortable, but Alexis signaled him to continue. “When I went to wherever the lights were, I found you.” A dark atmosphere seeped throughout the room. “You were in bad shape. But I heard you mumble something.”

Alexis’ heart stopped at his words. _What the hell did I say?!_ “I did?”

“Yeah, ‘Pines’ ‘One last time…’ mean anything to ya?” he raised an eyebrow.

A nervous sweat formed, but luckily Ford intervened, adding his own details. “I got a reading that something had crossed its way into this dimension. And according to this.” He held a device in his hand. “You traced a bio signature to ‘S. Pines’.” it was Alexis’ portal gun (which seems he unholstered it a while ago). The bio signature trace was something they commissioned Sanchez into installing for them, seemed it finally came in handy.

“Yeah…I did…” they said more in wonder than as a fact. Memories were still fuzzy and unsure.

“What did you mean by that?” Stan questioned. “ _One last time_ ?”

“I…” a memory came back. Running, hurt, gasping for air. Alexis ducked around the corner, while holding their side _’Fuck…’_ they uttered, lifting their hand to see it painted with blood. _I’m going to…_ They brought up their portal gun, and sloppily dialed ‘S. Pines’ into the bio signature search. _One last time…I have to see him, just one more time…Even if it’s just a different version of him…I need to-_

“Alexis?”

Ford’s voice broke the memory. “I, I don’t remember what I meant by that…” they lied.

“Alright, but that doesn’t explain why you just inputted ‘S. Pines’ into the device. That could have led you anywhere.” He continued. _But it didn’t. It brought me to the highest concentration of bio signatures that matched S. Pines_

“Listen. I…” _Have to think of something fast._ “I remember I was in some sort of trouble. And I needed help. So…in my very unclear state of mind I put down ‘S. Pines’.” They both seemed unconvinced. Alexis folded their arms and rolled their eyes, “It was the name of a few people I felt like that would have never betrayed me.” They mumbled out quickly. “But wait. You never told me you had a brother! And _you_ never told me you had a brother!” they shot a finger towards both of them. “This…this is unreal? You guys really are brothers…? Twins?!” Alexis rubbed their temples. _This is going to be a headache, I know it…_

“You know him?!” they both pointed towards each other, and locked eyes.

“You know _him_?!” “You know _her_?!” they both began, but stopped short at the other’s choice of words.

Ford was the first to clear his throat. “Well, Stanley. _She_ and I have, made an acquaintance throughout our travels.”  He struggled on announcing the two’s former association, while emphasizing Stan’s mistakes.

“Funny.” Stan crossed his arms nonchalantly. “Me and Alexis here go way back too. _He_ can tell ya all about it.” He shot daggers at his brother.

Ford sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look Stan, I don’t know what you were _on_ when you met Alexis, but I certainly know for a fact that _she_ is a woman.”

Stan scoffed, “ _What I was on?_ What’s that suppose to mean?! Pff, oh trust me Ford. I know what a guy looks like.”

The tension was tangible. Alexis cleared their throat. “Umm, Stan-s. Looks like I need to do some explaining.” They took a deep breath. _What the hell am I doing?_ “Alright, the truth is, I’m not human.” This took the two back a little, Stan more than Ford. “I’m a humanoid species of shapeshifters. So what you see is what I look like, okay?” they sat up rubbing the back of their neck. The serum was working its long term healing effects now. Alexis took note of the stiffness in certain joints, but it was far better than before. “So, technically speaking, you’re both right, and you’re both wrong.” _This is dragging on for too long._

Stan facepalmed, groaning. “Oh great, more inter-dimensional weirdness.”

“Wait, Alexis, why didn’t you tell me this?!” Ford question, a bit offended.

Another sigh left Alexis. “Look, Stan.” He glanced back towards them. “This stuff obviously doesn’t happen in your dimension, so I didn’t tell you about it. And Ford.” Alexis turned to the other now. “You were still new to the whole multiverse thing, I didn’t want to spook you.” They were met with a confused and shocked expression. “Look, I’m, defective…I can’t control when I change…So you met me when I was a man, and you when I was a girl. It was easier to just keep it that way for you two.” _Not to mention I thought you two were just different variants of each other, not **twin brothers.**_

“Wait, are you immortal or somethin’ then? You look exactly the same from when we met.” Stan moved back and leaned on a module, expecting more of this to drag on.

“Pff, oh no, far from it.” Alexis undid their belt that constricted their midsection. There was relief when it was removed. “I’m quite older than you two actually…Probably near both your ages combined.” This was uttered with a hint of whimsical nostalgia in their voice, but they quickly shook it away. “I age at one third the rate of humans on this world. When I met you both I was equivalent to say, hmm, 21.”

Ford rubbed his chin, mentally doing some calculations. “So that puts you around your 70’s?”

“Bingo.” Alexis snapped their fingers to him, but focusing their view on their boots.

“So what, 24 now? Kept the hair the same.” Stan commented on the side. A little smile perked up from his lips as he thought about the times he ruffled that wavy mop of hair.

“Heh. You know me, low maintenance and all.” Alexis shrugged. “But things still do change…” They whispered, closing their eyes as their head started to ache from trying to remember all the occurrences after _that_ point in time.

Stan and Ford didn’t push any farther. This was a lot of information to digest as it was. Minutes passed by with everyone stuck in their own thoughts. Stan recalled certain times where Alexis refused to go near him physically. _That makes more sense…_ He thought. Ford was recalling his time with Alexis, moments where they isolated themselves from him. _Probably due to uncontrollable shifting…_ He reasoned. Alexis stopped trying to remember things, and instead focused on what they should do and say next. The serum was still in effect, causing a tingly feeling over certain wounds and a chill to run down their spine. _I can’t stay here._ They finally reasoned.

Shifting so their legs swung off the side of the table, Alexis broke the silence. “Alright, I should be heading out now.”

“What?!” both spat out.

“Yes. Ford, I appreciate the serum, it really helped. Thank you. Stan, thank you for carrying me to safety. I…” words were stuck in their dry throat, but they continued to push forward. “I owe you one…I owe you a lot.” They scooted closer to the edge but immediately stop from the throbbing pain diffusing across their head.

“Alright, none of that.” Stan moved to brace Alexis, but they quickly motioned him that they were alright. “You can’t just run off like, like _this._ ” Flabbergasted annoyance was evident in his voice as he motioned to them as a whole.

“He’s right.” Ford moved towards the two. “At the very least, we deserve an explanation on what happened. How you got this way…” He frowned staring at a sizeable patch of blood camouflaged in their black clothing. A hand gingerly was placed over the area, Alexis shuddering under the touch. “You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”

“I’m been through worse.” They said swatting Ford’s hand off their back, moving to get off the table again. “You two know as well as I do. Besides, that serum works long term, not as fast, but still increases the rate of normal cell generation. Well, if you mixed it right.” They teased with a smirk but it quickly faded away as exhaustion painted its way on their face.

Alexis sat shoulders slumped down, hands laying in their lap. Their face was pale (not as pale as when Stan had carried them down into the basement) with dark bags under their eyes. The white of their eyes were slightly blood shot and irritated with some noticeable purple bruising on the bridge of their nose. Reddish-pink marks were left where their initial lacerations were, the more noticeable ones were one on their forehead just above the eyebrow and another on the opposite check, starting from their jawline ending at the middle of their cheek. Alexis’ hair was messier than usual, curls stiff in place from dry blood, a streak of which ran down the side of their cheek and hairline. Their all black clothing hid most of the blood, sweat, and other stains, but some were more noticeable than others. It was clear to Ford that what they wore was a basing to some sort of carbon fiber armor that would attach to the chest and other vital areas, with the sides being left with a thinner more flexible material. Bits of melted material clung to certain areas, indicating that Alexis originally had the armor on, but was either lost, or was blown off. The basing clung snuggly on their body, outlining their slender short figure. The sleeves ran all the way down to their hands, little holes for their thumbs to fit through. One of the sleeves were torn at the ball of the palm, where regenerated tissue seem to glow red with new flesh. The collar of the top had more material folded for the wearer to either cover their face or to be unfolded into a hood. Heavy combat boots held large gray scuffs at the front with the pants tucked into them, knife holstered on the inner side of the leg. Stan frowned at the sight of seared sections of clothing on their legs. All in all, Alexis’ condition was a dead giveaway that they had to fight their way out.

“I guess you two deserve at the very least that much…” Alexis sighed, crossing their arms and sitting up more. “Go ahead, go on and ask.” They waved their hand for the two to hurry up.

“What happened?”

“Well that’s vague. Hmm…I was running, I needed to go somewhere, I dialed in my portal gun ** _-boom-_** I’m here with two Stans glaring me up and down. We have that crazy little misunderstanding fiasco, but you two were there, so you know that. _Aaaand,_ then I tell ya I wanna leave and get out of your hair, but you two persist in asking me what happened. And now we’re here.” They listed off as fast as they could. “Good for you two? Great! Now, I’ll just head out and-“

“Alexis.” They both uttered with a serious and concerned tone.

They roll their eyes. “Gezz, what’s wrong with you two. I’m fine now! I mean, ya sure it was a bit scary when I first woke up, dazed and disoriented, but hey. My mind is clear and coherent now.” Alexis puts on a smug grin at the end, moving each body part to illustrate that they were ‘fine’.

“Enough with the front man act already, and take this seriously.” Stan growls, unimpressed.

“He’s right Alexis. Whatever happened to you looks fairly serious. Now please just be honest with us and tell us what happened?”

Alexis sighs even more dramatically, pinching the bridge of their nose. _Ow, it’s definitely bruised._ “Look guys,” their tone shifts to one more serious. “it doesn’t really matter, okay? You two can’t do anything about, and neither can I, so let’s just drop it. Besides, I’m fine now, _honest._ And it’s all thanks to you two.” They pause to shot the twins each a sincere smile. “So let me just go now, before I get into even more debt for you two-“

“You said yourself, we deserve to know. So will ya stop beating around the brush and tell us already.” Stan was more irritated now.

“We’re just looking for the truth, no matter what it is.”

Alexis rolled their eyes again. “Pff, fine! If it’ll get you two drama queens offa my back.”  They unfolded their arms and rested them on their knees. “Just…just give me a moment, everything’s still a bit fuzzy from waking up.” They closed their eyes concentrating. “The last thing I remember…was falling out of my portal, into some grass. But before that…” The memory of them running came back. The echoes of their exhaustion and pain surfaced. _I was shot…!_ Alexis clutched their left side at the memory, the searing sharp pain. “I was running…And before that...” They began folding in on themselves, left hand grasping their head as the right remained on their left side. The cuts and scrapes that the serum had healed started to throb, the recall of the panic came rushing in, but not the memory of the events. “I…I don’t know…I can’t remember…” they whispered.

Stan blew a raspberry, “Come one you said you’d be serious this time-“

“Wh-what happened to me…? I can’t remember! What the hell happened to me…?” Alexis began repeating themselves. It was clear that this mumbling was mainly direct towards themselves, and not the Stans. The focus on the twins evaporated, while Alexis remained stuck in their own terrified dilemma. A dark feeling manifested in their gut, slowly crawling its way throughout their body. Alexis could hear their heartbeat in their ears, breathing hitched, and a cold sweat ran its way into their being. They could vaguely hear their name being called out to them, but they weren’t there, not at the moment, they were far from the Stans. The alertness, the fear, the anxiety, the panic, the phantom pain of each and every wound enveloped Alexis…but not the memories themselves. “ _Why can’t I remember?! Why can’t I remember?! **Why can’t remember?!**_ ”

“Alexis!” they felt a heavy hand grip their shoulder, which they instinctively grabbed in defense. Ford was met with an animalistic gaze that chilled him to his core. His words constricted in his throat from such intensity. The grip they had on his forearm was concerning, but he noted that it trembled a bit. “Alexis…”

Alexis’ mind was on high alert, the sudden sensation of being grabbed and the _fear_ of what might follow it caused them to move so harshly. But Ford’s voice finally broke through to them. The intensity within them died down, and their eyes soften when Alexis realized where they were. Stan’s movement to stand next to his brother helped further ground Alexis. They took a long and shaky breath, closing their eyes and holding onto it for a moment, then letting it go along with the grip on Ford. “I, I’m fine…” they exhaled, giving the other a little push. They met the two’s concern gaze, level-headed and calm. Stanley couldn’t believe what just happened. The panic and adrenaline in someone’s eyes couldn’t have been extinguished this fast! He opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off. “I’m, fine.” Alexis emphasized, not breaking eye contact with him. A moment passed, them hoping that the two wouldn’t see past their calm façade.

During their time across the multi-verse, Ford had seen Alexis being taken aback by states of emergency, only to calm down and rationalize some mode of attack, but never this fast. “Alexis-“

“Sorry, but I don’t remember what happened to me. And that’s the truth.” They folded their arms again. “Listen, I should head out now, but I promise to come back and repay you two for all you’ve done.” They hop off the table groaning as they stabilize themselves in a standing position.

“What?! No-“

“Stanley.” Alexis called, stopping him in his tracks. “You two have your own lives and families to take care of. Not me. I’m not either of your responsibilities. So let me just head out before I cause anymore mishaps.” They padded him aside as they began walking. Alexis winced grabbing their side, but did their best hiding any difficulties.

“Hey! You can’t just go looking like _that!_ ” Ford protested.

“What? You want me to take a bath and change my clothes?” they mocked.

“Yes.” Stan said firmly. Alexis looked back to him, trying to decode if he was serious or not. He indeed was. “Look, you’re right. We all have our own responsibilities to take care of, but at the very least, just clean yourself up before you go.” Ford stared dumbfounded at his brother’s words. How could Stan be so calm about all this?

Alexis met his gaze and sighed. “Fine. A quick shower, and then I’m out. Where’s the exist to this place anyways?” Stan threw a thumb up towards the elevator. “Thanks.”

With a beat sigh Stan soon followed them, but was stopped by Ford. _‘Stanley, you’re not serious?!’_ He silently said eyeing his brother. Stan shrugged _‘We’ll talk later.’_ He signaled. The two then made their way to the elevator where Alexis stood patiently waiting for them. Ford pushed the button and the three stood there in silence.

Alexis leaned on the wall behind them, eyeing the backs of the two. A relieved sigh left them as they tilted their head upwards, leaning it against the cool metal. _What happened to me? Why did I choose to come here?! Idiot! Of course they have families and other responsibilities! It’s been 30 years! How could I do this to them?! I need to make it up to them… Did part of me hope…? No, no. That’s ridiculous! Coming here was a mistake, all I did was mess things up for them-_

The door dinged and the two stepped out, but turned when they didn’t hear a following of steps, so they looked back. Alexis was still leaning on the wall, head tilted, eyes closed, and just as worn, battered, and beaten as they were in the basement. _He looks so dead-No I can’t think that!_ “Alexis.” Stan called out to them. Didn’t budge. He cleared his throat and tried again a bit louder.

This seemed to snap them out of their thoughts. “Uhh, right. Shower.” They mumbled rubbing their drowsy eye and exiting the elevator. This was the first opportunity they got to look around the place. Alexis whistled in wonder at the little gift shop. “Cute little shop here.” They smiled a bit.

Ford rolled his eyes as Alexis’ smile seem to infect Stan. “Yeah? Thanks.” He proclaimed with pride.

“Up here.” Ford made his way towards the bathroom.

Alexis followed, taking in more of the place. It was an all wood cabin, creaky boards here and there, with obvious signs of repairs, and needed repairs. But something about it all was strangely, charming? It felt warm and lived in and- _Stop. I’m only here to take a shower and then I’m out. They don’t need me here causing them any trouble._ They hurried their pace and met the Stans in the bathroom.

“Uhh, shampoo, soap, shower.” Stan rummaged around a bit nervously pointing at the objects.

Alexis smiled at the sincerity. “Thanks. Oh, _shit._ ” They slapped a palm to their forehead. The two stared in question. “I left my capsule belt down in the lab. I should have a change of clothes there… Let me just-“

“I’ll get it for you. Just go ahead and get yourself cleaned up.” Ford said.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, just leave the door unlocked so I can set it down in the bathroom for you.” With that, the Pines left Alexis alone.

A groan left Alexis as soon as they heard the door close. _Keeping this up is hard…_ They thought, hunching forward. The Stans where right, Alexis was in no condition to be moving around so much, but they couldn’t let the others know, or else they would have never let them leave! While in thought Alexis’ eyes wondered to the mirror and they saw themselves for what felt like the first time in a long time. They finally saw what the Stans had seen and frowned. “I look like shit.” They murmured, moving to take off their clothes. Alexis found it annoying at how some articles would stick or felt gooey as they slid off their body. An inspection in the mirror again revealed that they were indeed in bad shape. “Fuck…I probably have a first aid kit in there too…Hopefully…?” they then turned the water nozzles, listening to the rumbling of pipes before water came forth. They adjusted the flowing water until a preferred temperature was met and they slipped in. A pleased sigh and shudder left them as the warm water ran across their body. Again it felt like ages since Alexis had had a decent and hot shower, and silently thanked Stan for suggesting this as they ran their fingers through their matted hair.

 

* * *

 

The two held themselves firmly against the door of the bathroom. A wave of relief was met when the sound of rushing water bounced into their ears.

“Well, they didn’t pass out, that’s good.” Ford said moving away from the door. “But Stan…” he cleared his throat before addressing his brother. “You can’t possibly think that letting her go like this is a good idea!”

“I never said it was _good,_ Poindexter!”

“That’s beyond the point! We can’t just-“

“Stanford…” he voiced very seriously, causing the other to stop and listen. He frowned trying to find the words to explain himself. “Look, he’s right. All this ‘inter-dimensional stuff’ is bad news.” He licked his lips trying to gather all his thoughts and emotions. “I mean, it caused you to-to-That _thing_ sent you away! And, and you said yourself! This stuff can destroy the world!” he expanded his arms outwards exasperated, then flatten with a sigh. “So…why not just let ‘em go…?” he said more questioning to himself than to his brother. Ford stood there taking in what his brother had said.  “I can’t risk losing you again. I can’t risk the kids getting hurt…I just can’t Ford…” But the nagging gut feeling that this decision was wrong kept eating away at Stan.

Ford was taken aback at Stan’s sound and valid reasoning. But he still needed to voice his own opinions on the matter. “I…I can see why you’re concerned with all that. But Stan. Please listen to me.” A short paused was made and the two met each other with earnest eyes. “I know you don’t really know anything about the alternative dimensions, but, but the way Alexis was…The way you found her…” his fists tighten involuntarily. “That was no accident Stan. That wasn’t just some random mishap either. Whoever or _whatever_ caused all those injuries…It’s not something to be handled with so carelessly. For Pete sake, she _can’t even remember,_ what had happened!”

Stan glared at his brother and couldn’t stop some of his thoughts from being verbalized. _“You think I **didn’t** notice those injuries weren’t **purposely** done?! You think I’m an idiot?! Of course something bad caused all of that! You think I don’t **see** they gravity of the situation?!” _the look of his brother’s face signaled to Stan that some of his thoughts were verbalized. He sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Look Stanley…” he began a bit more distraught. “From my calculations, nothing followed Alexis into our dimension, but that doesn’t mean something won’t the second they leave here. A bounty hunter, an assassin- _whatever_ danger it may be, she has a higher chance of them locating her if she leaves Gravity Falls.”

“So, all that space travel junk is really dangerous, huh?” Ford nodded. “Sending him out to his own death then…?” the silence shared between them was a confirmation. Stan straighten his back, and strode with determination to his bedroom, rummaging around his drawers. Ford glanced at him slowly following. “Then it’s decided. Alexis is stayin’ here with us.” He pulled the smallest sweater, boxer briefs, and sweatpants he could find, smelling each to make sure they were clean.

Ford huffed with a slight smile. “Alexis is stubborn, you know? It will take more than just some comfy clothes to convince her to stay.”

Stan neatly folded the garments then looked around his room, not meeting his twin’s gaze. “We’ll talk’em into staying here.” He dug through various items in his room until he found what he was looking for: a first aid kit. He began making his way back to the bathroom. “Now use that big brain of yours to come up with a way to convince him to stay.” He left his twin without another word, too flustered at the current events.

 

* * *

 

The air was thick and humid. Alexis stood under the shower head, eyes closed, relishing the sensation of the warm water. It rushed and flowed, massaging the aches and loosening up the tenseness that constricted their muscles. They were lost in a dreamlike light-headedness, while the echo of a memory began to nag them. _“Healing and sanitation is a must…”_ The words rang in Alexis’ head. The voice was muddy, vaguely familiar, and distant.

**_-KNOCK KNOCK-_ **

Alexis flinched at the sudden noise, snapping out of their trance. Eyes widen at the initial fear of danger, but they soon calmed down when they remembered where they were.

“Uhh, can I come in? I got you your stuff.” Stanley’s voice broke through the door

Alexis sighed. _Right, shower, then I’m gone._ “Y-Ya, go ahead! The door’s unlocked.” They replied, grabbing the bottle of shampoo. The sound of the door hinges being hesitantly open was followed by footsteps.

“Uhh, I’ll just set it down on the toilet seat. There’s also a first aid kit.” Stan kept is line of sight straight forward and away from the actual shower. Not that he could see anything through the curtains, but it still felt wrong if he hadn’t had done so.

Alexis followed him with their ears. “Alright, thank you.” A small and appreciated smile formed. The sound of running water filled the room.

Stanley stared at the pile of discarded clothing, frowning and taking note of the mess caked onto the garments. He quickly snapped himself out of his thoughts when he felt like he was standing there too long. _Fuck, he thinks I’m probably peeping…_ Stan’s footsteps were hurried and sloppy was he made his way to the door, but stopped short. “Oh, uhh, if you need help with anything, just call for it, alright?”

A pit of concern was felt when Alexis heard the seizing of footsteps and shuffling of items. But the feeling dissipated once they heard Stan hurrying out the bathroom. “Uhh, y-ya thanks!” they stuttered out. The flustered concern in his voice, the pang of nostalgia hit. The memory of long nights hoping shitty motels surfaced. The rustling of stiff sheets, the hum of a broken bathroom lamp, the- _stop._ Alexis shook their head. “Thanks Stan!” they called out. With that, the door closed, and Alexis was once again left alone.

Alexis took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand. They quickly finished up their shower and ( _reluctantly)_ turned off the water. They sighed, stretching, feeling the immediate relief on the body only a hot shower can muster. Alexis grabbed a towel and dried themselves off before stepping out of the tub. Again, they were met with their reflection and a frown. The sight of the first aid kit that Stan had placed on the sink counter drew their attention. Alexis made their way to it, opening it up and began the process of cleaning and patching the leftover wounds the mitotic regeneration serum could not immediately heal.

This took time, patience, and precision, to which Alexis found some strange, calming, solace in. At this point, they’ve spent countless hours patching themselves up, examining their body through strategically placed mirrors. It’s not that Alexis was bad at making friends, or forming relations, it’s just that throughout their journeys and travels, they’ve learned to get by fine on their own. _Three inch vertical laceration on the medial area of the left calf. Circular burn on the lateral area of the right forearm, with a horizontal one and half inch scrap superior to the burn. Bruising on both sets of knuckles…_ Alexis mentally mapped their wounds. Again, part of the calming process of the activity. Finally they stared at the biggest wound. _Large, gunshot-like wound on the lateral aspects of the upper left quadrant. A graze maybe…?_ They glared intently at the injury, trying to figure out exactly what it was, until a knock on the door startled them.

“Uhh, Alexis? Are you doing alright in there?” it was Ford this time.

_Oh geez, how long have I’ve been in here?_ Alexis cleared their throat. “Ya, I’m fine in here.”

“Alright…” there was a noticeably hesitant pause. “Well, are you dressed, we’d like to have a word with you.”

_Oh great, this’ll be pleasant…_ They rolled their eyes. “Alright, just give me a sec. They haphazardly applied disinfectant on the wound, and wrapped it in a clean white gauze. _Alright, I should have a change of clothes in one of these capsules-_ Alexis stopped and stared at what laid on the toilet seat; a semi-decently folded white thermal sweater, sweatpants, and boxers. They froze staring at the objects in hand, while their brain connected, and reconnected, and reevaluated the situation.

Another knock on the door, “Uhh, Alexis?”

“This is my capsule belt.” They answered back, just loud enough for Ford to hear.

“Well, yes. You see, that’s one of the things we’d like to discuss about with you.”

Alexis turned and stared daggers at the door, as if the two could actually see them. “Alright, give me a second.” They mused over clenched teeth. With a reluctant sigh, they shimmied their way into the clothes. The boxers were loose, and the sweatpants were definitely too large and long. Alexis grunted, taking a seat on the toilet to fold up the legs a bit, and groaned as they leaned down to do so. A dull pain rang from their left side.

“Ya descent yet or not?” Stan bellowed

“Ya, hold up.” Alexis rolled their eyes again, getting up and tying the draw strings tight around them (which were so long it wrapped around their waist before being tied off). They grabbed the sweater and made their way in flinging the door open. “There better be a good reason why you two couldn’t find my belt.” Alexis complained, throwing the sweater over their head and fumbling with the sleeves. Stan opened his mouth to retort back but the words stopped in place when his eyes darted to the large bandage on their side. Alexis got themselves in the sweater and glared at the two. “Come on, you gonna stand there all day? I got places to be.” They said lifting a hand up and motioning for them to ‘fork it over’.

“Your hair is still wet and tangled.” Ford mused, passing Stanley by. “There’s a brush in the drawer.”

Alexis rolled their eyes, knowing that this was about to drag on longer than they would have hoped. So might as well go along with the dismay before getting back on track. They turned on their heels and walked towards the sink, fishing through the drawers until they found the brush, and took a seat on the closed toilet.

Ford crossed his arms, leaning against the wall across Alexis, while Stan took the bathroom stool and sat hunch forward on it. Alexis ruffled the towel through their dripping hair. “Alright, start, so I can get my belt and leave.” They stated with a pang of annoyance.

Stanford took in a deep breath, trying to construct his words, “Well, you see here…Ummm…”

“We want you to stay.” Stan stated. He figured that there was no use beating around the bush.

Alexis was taken aback by his words but laughed it off. “Heh, nice one Stan. But we agreed that I take a shower, and I high-tail it out of here and come back to-“

“Ya, well here’s the new plan.” Stan stated as-a-matter-of fact. This caused Alexis to listen up, and focus their undivided attention on him. Stan sighed rubbing his temples, the initial bravery push within him died down fast. “Alexis…You have to stay here-“

“No Stan, I don’t.” they were clearly agitated. Rightfully so, because a deal was a deal, and from what Alexis knew, Stanley Pines wasn’t one to going out on a limb and changing a deal unless there was some self-benefit to it.

Stan bit his tongue back when they rose up against his words. The underlining fury was in their voice, their expression matched it, but Stan knew better, he could see past the exterior after all the time spent with Alexis. What he saw only deepen his desire for them to stay in the shack. Hidden in their eyes, he saw the truth; the fear, the exhaustion, the anxiety, and uneasiness that Alexis held inside. He frowned at this. It was worse than he had thought.

“Listen, just let us explain.” Ford finally stepped forward. Alexis’ glare focused on him. When he did not falter under it, they clicked their teeth and motioned for him to continue. They retook their seat on the toilet and began brushing their hair. It was probably for the best since that quick get up already had them exhausted. Ford cleared his throat and straighten his body. “It’s come to my attention, that it would be safe for everyone if you remained here in Gravity Falls.”

“Pff, that’s a load of malarkey and you know it Ford.” They rolled their eyes again.

This dismissive attitude slightly irritated Ford, but he continued on. “It is. You see, this dimension is currently experiencing varying wavelength disturbances from all the dimension hoping. When I stepped through the portal, and when you entered through yours, who know what else will happen if you leave.”

Alexis groaned, “You know my portal gun is more stable than that portal, it won’t cause a disturbance.”

“You can’t be 100% certain about that.”

“Well, it’s more likely not to cause any harm, than it is.” They retorted back.

Ford’s mouth went into a firm line. “Well, when you jump back to ‘repay us’ it might cause more harm.”

“Still not likely, you know that.”

“Alexis.”

“What?!” they flailed their arms up. “Just give me my stuff so I can get out of your hair. Look…” they folded their arms and looked away from the two, with a calmer tone. “You two don’t need me around causing any trouble. I’m leaving for the benefit of us all…”

There was a long pause between the three of them. “Then where will you go?” Stan finally question.

This seem to throw Alexis off. They haven’t thought about that yet. They hummed putting a hand to their chin. “Hmm, don’t matter. Not your problem. Mine.”

“Alexis!” he forward his brow.

“What, it’s true.”

“Alexis.” Ford stepped forward again. “What are you trying to hide from us?” Uneasiness settled in them as the word ‘hide’ was uttered. Alexis swallowed thickly, unable to voice a response, which the two took note of. “Alexis, it’s obvious that someone, _something,_ was after you.” Ford pushed more. Alexis hugged themselves tighter, trying to mask their involuntary shaking. Ford was more concerned now from their reaction. “You can trust us, you can tell us what hap-“

“I’m fine!” they yelped. Alexis let out a shaky breath. “S-See? The more reason to leave. If something was after me, and I stayed, you two would be caught up in all this mess. So now will you just give me might belt and-“

“Or it would be worse if you leave.” Stan interjected. “I mean, if you leave, I’m sure they have some fancy-shmasy way of tracking you, right?” Alexis’ stare and silence was a giveaway that he was right. Stan got up, starting to put on his Mr. Mystery persona on. “I mean, if ya leave, and they come here to us. What are we suppose to do? We got no way of tellin’ where’d you go, and do you really think they’re gonna believe us if we tell’em _‘We don’t know where he went!’_ ”

Alexis stuttered, “I, uhhh, I can go and set up some blocker, and then-“

“What? Set up a blocker by leaving and then comin’ back?” Stan could stop his grin from forming. He knew he had Alexis now.

“That’s right.” Ford stepped in, (a bit awkwardly) following his brother’s cue. “By the time you go and come back, who know what they would do to us? Not to mention our family, and the other innocent people of this dimension.”

_Damn these two!_ “I uh…I can…” _Think think think! Come up with a way to keep everyone safe here before leaving. “Come on! Think…Think! Think!”_ Alexis closed their eyes, trying to come up with some form of solution, until they felt a hand on their shoulder. Their eyes shot up to the Stans, who they hadn’t had notice they were directly in front of them.

“Alexis…” Stan’s voice was back to his general concern now. “It’s alright for you to stay with us.”

His words stung. Alexis hasn’t needed any help from somebody for a long time. “No.” they brushed his hand off of them. “I-I don’t need charity! I don’t need hand-outs! I’ve made it fine on my own for this long now, I can still-“

“Alexis.” Ford butted in. “You don’t have to prove anything to us or-“

“It’s not about me proving something to you two! It’s just the fact that I’m alone, and I can get by just like that.” Something in them didn’t quite believe that statement. Alexis let out another shaky breath and looked down, holding themselves again. Something in them was stirring all this, this unexplainable fear and anxiety. What had happened? The memory loss was the prime culprit behind this dread and Alexis hated that they couldn’t figure it out. Alexis felt so scared, and hurt, and lost, and confused, but most of all; they felt exhausted.

Ford knew this was bad, Alexis was curling in on themselves, _again_. He’s dealt with them in dire and stressful situations before, but has never seen them like this. Stan knelt down in front of them, placing both his hands on their shoulders. “Hey…” he was met with a few shaky breaths.

Ford intervened, “Alexis, we don’t want you to go out there under these conditions. Please understand, the multi-verse is dangerous as it is, but under these circumstances…You could die.” There was no other way in putting.

“Every moment that passes by, we risk dying…” they uttered lowly with no malice as if this was an automatic response to the statement.

Ford ignored the comment, “Something may very well come and over take you the second you leave here, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep right at night knowing that something bad happened to you when I could have prevented it…”

There was still no response. “Well…” it was Stan’s turn to try to convince him. “I agree with Sixer over here. I wouldn’t feel right if something were to happen to you. And we keep offering this to you, so you don’t have to swallow your pride or anything. We’re not even askin’ for anything in return. Look, didn’t you say that you went to ‘people I felt like they never betrayed me’? Well, that takes a lot of trust and faith, so in realty we kind of owe you, right?” Stan sensed a change in their demeanor and chased after it. “So, let’s prove to you that that faith and trust was being put to somewhere good, ey?” he lightly punched them in the arm, and they scoffed.

_What am I doing?_ “Fine…” _I must be crazy!!_ “I’ll stay for a day or two-“

“Until you get your memory back.” They both stated.

Alexis frowned, knowing that if it came from both of them, there was no way in arguing back. “Fine…” they took a deep breath then looked back up to the two, their familiar smirk back on their face. “Alright, but don’t you two think I’mma stay here for free! I saw that lil gift shop on the way up, I’ll work and help out over there.”

Stan was surprised at the quick transition, but mimicked it, and scoffed. “Who said I was hiring?”

“Well, I ain’t getting paid in money, now am I?” they shrugged.

The Pines smiled at Alexis’ upbeat attitude. “Ehh, can’t beat non-paid labor, I guess. But don’t think I’m gonna give you any special treatment, old man.” He lightly jabbed their arm again getting back up on his feet and readjusting his fez.

“Oh joy!” Alexis playfully rolled their eyes and chuckled at him.

Ford smiled at this, but couldn’t help but notice the exhausted bags under their eyes. “Well, before all that, let’s grab you something to eat and let you get some rest first.”

Alexis nodded, and followed the two out. Despite their worries and fears, they felt a new sensation spread within them: _relief…_


End file.
